AT&T has seen broadband and wireless usage surge 29 percent in one month, as remote workers and families stay at homes to abide by restrictions that have been ordered across the country.
Maintaining a high level of service, however, has meant a full-court press for the telecommunications giant.
“So far, we’ve seen massive spikes in traffic, but our AT&T network has been able to withstand that,” Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, told Cheddar’s Hope King on Friday. “I think the bigger question is, as this pandemic persists, our customers and our employees and citizens of the U.S. are going to have to learn a different way of working, a different way of learning, and that means service providers like AT&T have to be thoughtful in how we adjust our service models.”
In part, that means keeping a large portion of its workforce in the field to maintain service.
The company has sent roughly 90,000 workers home to work remotely. Another 100,000 remain in the field, visiting customers’ houses, businesses, and institutions such as hospitals.
“These are our heroes. These are the individuals who are installing mission-critical services into hospitals,” McElfresh said.
AT&T is also working closely with FEMA and the CDC to maintain service to critical infrastructure, he added.
Less than 40 percent of AT&T retail locations are up and running, which is one area where McElfresh said the company has felt the impact of the pandemic.
“Customers actually need these outlets in order to get service,” he said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on its business. Apple’s earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street’s expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter’s results. Cook added that for the current quarter, assuming things don’t change, Apple expects to see $900 million added to its costs as a result of the tariffs.
Visa is hoping to hand your credit card to an artificial intelligence “agent” that can find and buy clothes, groceries, airplane tickets and other items on your behalf.
Skift Editor-In-Chief Sarah Kopit discusses how summer travel plans remain uncertain for most as many international travelers are leery to travel abroad. Watch!
